From Michoacán to Our Mesas: How V&V Supremo® Became the Flavor of Family Gatherings
Latinos have a unique way of bringing families together, and no, it’s not chisme. We’re talking about food. And not just any kind. We mean our food. Sizzling, bursting with flavor, and made with mucho, mucho amor.
However, there are staples in every meal for each Latino household. One of them is the flavor that comes from V&V Supremo® and their famous Chihuahua® Brand Cheese, a product that has been part of family gatherings for over 60 years. But do you know the story behind our beloved brand?
Here’s how the dream of a family became a flavor we can’t live without.
A dream and $500
Back in the 1960s, Gilberto and Ignacio Sr. Villaseñor were brothers-in-law who left Michoacán with a dream and only $500 in their pockets. Initially, they attempted to create Mexican candies for the Chicago immigrant community. But soon, they realized that what their gente really missed wasn’t sweets, but a taste of home.
One thing Mexicans living in Chicago couldn’t get was that fresh, crumbly, hand-crafted cheese that reminded them of mornings in Central Mexico. Four years later, V&V Supremo® came up with its first creation: Queso Fresco. And let’s just say, Chicago couldn’t get enough.
The cheese flew off the shelves faster than they could make it. But even more, families finally had something they recognized on their plates again.
The Chihuahua® Brand Cheese that melted hearts
Fast-forward a few decades, and the Villaseñor family wasn’t just making cheese anymore. From humble beginnings in 1964, V&V Supremo® Foods has grown from crafting traditional Queso Fresco for its community in Chicago into one of the nation’s oldest family-owned producers of authentic Mexican-style cheeses, cremas, and chorizo.
More than cheese, it’s an experience. Stretching across the plate as people pulled apart a quesadilla, turning nachos into a tower of melty goodness, sneaking into abuelita’s enchiladas, and to this day onto late-night TikTok-inspired birria tacos. Whether your choice is shredded, the Chihuahua® Brand Jalapeño Cheese, or the Mexican 3 Cheese blend, V&V Supremo® did the one thing we all hope food can always do: connect the past to the present.
For many, the Chihuahua® Brand Cheese is that nostalgic bite that reminds us of home, even when we are far away, living between two worlds. It’s the cheesy proof that family recipes don’t have to stay stuck in the past, but can take on a whole new flavor that melts into today’s culture.
Rooted in tradition while nurturing the next generation
However, V&V Supremo® Foods’s story didn’t end with Gilberto and Ignacio. Today, the second generation of Villaseñors keeps the tradition going. Gilberto II and Phillip carry the family legacy forward. While honoring the value of authenticity, hard work, and community, they’ve also embraced the future by taking V&V Supremo® to the next level.
The products aren’t just sold at neighborhood stores anymore. Now, they’re in national grocery chains, featured in restaurant kitchens, and inspiring everyday cooks through recipes shared on social media and YouTube.
Whether you’re learning how to crumble queso fresco over esquites or discovering a new mac & cheese remix with Chihuahua® Brand Cheese, the Villaseñors are making sure their family traditions live on in digital spaces where young Latinos are creating their own kitchen memories.
More than queso, it’s familia
V&V Supremo® isn’t just cheese, crema, or chorizo. It’s part of our familia. It’s the reason tíos gather around the grill, why cousins hover in the kitchen waiting for that first quesadilla, and why even your non-Latino friends ask what cheese you’re using. It’s about creating moments beyond meals.
From Michoacán to Chicago, and now across the country, the flavor of family traditions continues. After all, some legacies are just too good not to share.
